• Three Student Managers (19 hours/week)
Job Descriptions
The managers will work together to manage the Co-op, serve as the communication between the Co-op and administration, facilitate student energy and projects, educate the western community, order food, and develop relationships with farmers.
Qualifications
The managers are required to be current Western students and commit to being at the Co-op for a minimum of three quarters. Managers after the first year must have volunteered or worked previously at the Co-op.
Salary
o $12.50
Duties:
o Oversee daily operations and provide resources, assistance, and guidance to student managers, employees, and volunteers
o Represent Co-op to administration
o Coordinate insurance coverage and risk-management
o Provide hiring, appraisal, and termination recommendations to the Board of Directors (BOD) as necessary
o Organize and coordinate internal activities, employees, volunteers, and interns
o Work with other student managers and school accountants to maintain an accurate bookkeeping/accounting system
o Prepare and present accurate financial and operational reports to the administration
o Attend BOD meetings as requested
Examples of Specific Duties
Public Relations and Staff Management
• Direct daily business activities
• Ensure Co-op mission, vision, and by-laws are implemented in daily operations
• Create employee and volunteer work schedules, working with Events Coordinator(s) to maintain appropriate staff levels
• Mediate employee and volunteer disputes and concerns when appropriate
• Maintain records of supplies used, waste generated, and customer and employee recommendations
• Represent Co-op to public
• Solicit member input through personal interaction, comment card responses, surveys, etc., encouraging participation from all members
• Coordinate advertising (signage, print, radio, tabling, etc) placement/timing
• Provide hiring, evaluation, and termination recommendations to the BOD as necessary
Financial and Supply Chain Management
• Maintain records of current budgets and cash flow
• Set goals and develop short- and long-term strategic plans including budgets and cash flow statement as requested by the BOD
• Asses and reduce liabilities and risks in all levels of operation
• Prepare and present accurate financial and operational reports to the BOD
• Coordinate and manage supply chain, ensuring use of products and suppliers aligned with Co-op vision and mission
• Represent Co-op to suppliers, maintaining good relations and encouraging participation where appropriate
• Notify BOD of significant supply chain changes and get board approval for supply chain changes.
Advising Board
The Student Managers will have a board that will advise them on the running of the Co-op. Each manager will have two advisors who will meet with the student at least once a month and respond to questions posed by the student. The advisors will tell the board if they have any concerns regarding the management or state of the Co-op. Potential people we could talk to about being part of the advisory board include senior managers at the local businesses, restaurants, and food markets, professors in the business, economics, accounting, and environmental studies departments, and esteemed Western graduates.
Hiring:
• Student Managers
o Hiring decision by BOD based upon application, interview, and recommendations
o Staggered hiring of student managers – hired Fall → begin Winter; hired Winter → begin Spring
• One month training period (shadowing manager currently filling position)
o Must have volunteered or worked in co-op to be eligible
o Must sign yearly contract committing to three quarters of work
Training and Transference
o Managers will need to volunteer with the previous years managers a minimum of four hours a week in the month of may preceding their job.
o A book will be kept and maintained by the managers which details the operation of the co-op and grows from experience.
o For at least the first year the managers will come in 4 weeks before school starts. They will start to bond, learn, ready the co-op, and get prepared for the school year. We will develop a training program where they will work with a professor, local businesses, and each other to learn how best to run the co-op. Funding will be needed to pay a professor for their time.
When hiring a manager it will be essential that they have the qualifications of running the day-to-day operations of a business like the Co-op. Skills that will be important when hiring a manager include;
• Step-by-step planning approach to problems;
• Ability to focus on opportunities and priority areas and the future;
• Ability to acknowledge weaknesses and strengths, and build on the strengths in both themselves and others;
• Willingness and trust to delegate tasks and organize their own time;
• Orientation to evaluating any action by its results; and
• Willingness to change if the results are inappropriate
• Planning and monitoring members' collective action;
• Organizing and providing leadership for members working together; and
• Coordinating every aspect of the undertaking.
It will be very important that the manager monitors the progress of the Co-op especially in the start up stages. In the planning and start up stages of the Co-op the board will create key indicators that can be monitored to ensure that the progress of the Co-op is on track. The Co-op will use indicators from their income statement, such as net profits, to monitor the success of the Co-op. It will also be essential that the Co-op monitors the objectives, goals and commitments as stated in the plan above. Monitoring will help to assure that;
• Everyone knows what kind of progress is being made toward accomplishing the planned objectives, and provides the kind of information needed to adjust the line of action if there is a divergence from the plan.
• Everyone in the Co-op will abide by agreements. This implies that everyone involved in carrying out the plan will be involved to an appropriate degree with formulating it.
• It will be possible to predict trends and to provide information needed to improve planning in the future.
Lastly the manager will be responsible for delegating tasks and responsibilities to workers and volunteers. It will be important that the manager of the Co-op is skilled in the art of delegating. Effective delegating requires that the manager has the ability to;
• To define precisely what has been delegated;
• To define a whole task and the steps needed to complete that task;
• To choose appropriate people and work with them to mutually set objectives;
• To give honest and accurate feedback to those people and support them in their work; and
• Above all, to have the trust in employees and self-confidence to really let go of the work to be done.
Personnel Plan
Under the supervision of the store manager the Co-op will have paid staff and strong volunteer base.
• All staff will be trained for daily operation.
• For startup we have estimated that we will need a minimum of 4-8 paid staff members.
• Volunteers will be selected by the board, staff and operations manager. Volunteers will be chosen based on their values and alignment with the company’s mission and commitments. The Co-op will accept all volunteers that they feel could enhance the operations of the Co-op. There will be mandatory training available on a monthly basis for students wishing to be involved as volunteers.
• Daily operation consists of: food preparation, cashier, clean up, assistance with tracking volunteer hours, food inventory, event planning and coordination.
• All staff will be paid at a starting rate of $8.50 and will receive additional pay if they are eventually promoted.
• Volunteers will get an $8.50 store credit for every 4 hours worked. They will work closely with the staff and Co-op manager to account for hours worked. To receive credit, the staff and Co-op manger will need to approve and sign off on all volunteer hours worked.
Staff
Staff is the backbone of the Co-op, there will be at least one paid staff member working at all times. Workers will be given complete respect and their voices must be heard and valued, this will be done through open membership meetings where all stakeholders can voice their opinions and concerns regarding the future of the Co-op. According to WWU pay classification levels staff will be a level one classification. Staff will perform general and routine duties in accordance with the day to day operations of the Co-op.
• Jobs/responsibilities of workers include things such as moving patrons through the checkout lines, taking orders, making food and general up-keep of the appearance and cleanliness of the space. Workers will be delegated tasks as they are seen fit by the operations manager. These will include, but are not limited to event planning, advertising and marketing opportunities, and building and improving community connections. Staff must also be educated about sustainable practices, and be able to communicate the benefits and importance of these sustainable practices to the customer.
Internships/Enhanced Student Learning
The Co-op will work with the Business school to incorporate opportunities for student learning. Some possibilities for this will be student consultants from Small Business Entrepreneurship classes, such as MGMT 492. We will also look for student involvement through internships that focus on management, financing and marketing of the Co-op. Interns will need to submit an application to the board, which includes their history as it relates to sustainability and a recommendation from the business department. Other enhanced student learning opportunities will include student consulting opportunities through business courses such as MGMT 413.
Volunteers
Volunteers will be strongly encouraged, and will be chosen based on their values and alignment with the company’s mission and commitments. The Co-op will accept all volunteers that they feel could enhance the operations of the Co-op. All volunteers will receive free food up to $8.50 for every 4-hour shift.
• Jobs/responsibilities of volunteers include things such as stocking shelves, unloading shipments, taking orders, advertising to university community, making food and general up-keep of the appearance and cleanliness of the space. Similar to workers, volunteers will be delegated tasks as they are seen fit by the operations manager. These will include, but are not limited to event planning, advertising and marketing opportunities, and building and improving community connections. Volunteers must also be educated about sustainable practices, and be able to communicate the benefits and importance of these sustainable practices to the customer.
• Three Student Managers (19 hours/week)
Job Descriptions
The managers will work together to manage the Co-op, serve as the communication between the Co-op and administration, facilitate student energy and projects, educate the western community, order food, and develop relationships with farmers.
Qualifications
The managers are required to be current Western students and commit to being at the Co-op for a minimum of three quarters. Managers after the first year must have volunteered or worked previously at the Co-op.
Salary
o $12.50
Duties:
o Oversee daily operations and provide resources, assistance, and guidance to student managers, employees, and volunteers
o Represent Co-op to administration
o Coordinate insurance coverage and risk-management
o Provide hiring, appraisal, and termination recommendations to the Board of Directors (BOD) as necessary
o Organize and coordinate internal activities, employees, volunteers, and interns
o Work with other student managers and school accountants to maintain an accurate bookkeeping/accounting system
o Prepare and present accurate financial and operational reports to the administration
o Attend BOD meetings as requested
Examples of Specific Duties
Public Relations and Staff Management
• Direct daily business activities
• Ensure Co-op mission, vision, and by-laws are implemented in daily operations
• Create employee and volunteer work schedules, working with Events Coordinator(s) to maintain appropriate staff levels
• Mediate employee and volunteer disputes and concerns when appropriate
• Maintain records of supplies used, waste generated, and customer and employee recommendations
• Represent Co-op to public
• Solicit member input through personal interaction, comment card responses, surveys, etc., encouraging participation from all members
• Coordinate advertising (signage, print, radio, tabling, etc) placement/timing
• Provide hiring, evaluation, and termination recommendations to the BOD as necessary
Financial and Supply Chain Management
• Maintain records of current budgets and cash flow
• Set goals and develop short- and long-term strategic plans including budgets and cash flow statement as requested by the BOD
• Asses and reduce liabilities and risks in all levels of operation
• Prepare and present accurate financial and operational reports to the BOD
• Coordinate and manage supply chain, ensuring use of products and suppliers aligned with Co-op vision and mission
• Represent Co-op to suppliers, maintaining good relations and encouraging participation where appropriate
• Notify BOD of significant supply chain changes and get board approval for supply chain changes.
Advising Board
The Student Managers will have a board that will advise them on the running of the Co-op. Each manager will have two advisors who will meet with the student at least once a month and respond to questions posed by the student. The advisors will tell the board if they have any concerns regarding the management or state of the Co-op. Potential people we could talk to about being part of the advisory board include senior managers at the local businesses, restaurants, and food markets, professors in the business, economics, accounting, and environmental studies departments, and esteemed Western graduates.
Hiring:
• Student Managers
o Hiring decision by BOD based upon application, interview, and recommendations
o Staggered hiring of student managers – hired Fall → begin Winter; hired Winter → begin Spring
• One month training period (shadowing manager currently filling position)
o Must have volunteered or worked in co-op to be eligible
o Must sign yearly contract committing to three quarters of work
Training and Transference
o Managers will need to volunteer with the previous years managers a minimum of four hours a week in the month of may preceding their job.
o A book will be kept and maintained by the managers which details the operation of the co-op and grows from experience.
o For at least the first year the managers will come in 4 weeks before school starts. They will start to bond, learn, ready the co-op, and get prepared for the school year. We will develop a training program where they will work with a professor, local businesses, and each other to learn how best to run the co-op. Funding will be needed to pay a professor for their time.
When hiring a manager it will be essential that they have the qualifications of running the day-to-day operations of a business like the Co-op. Skills that will be important when hiring a manager include;
• Step-by-step planning approach to problems;
• Ability to focus on opportunities and priority areas and the future;
• Ability to acknowledge weaknesses and strengths, and build on the strengths in both themselves and others;
• Willingness and trust to delegate tasks and organize their own time;
• Orientation to evaluating any action by its results; and
• Willingness to change if the results are inappropriate
• Planning and monitoring members' collective action;
• Organizing and providing leadership for members working together; and
• Coordinating every aspect of the undertaking.
It will be very important that the manager monitors the progress of the Co-op especially in the start up stages. In the planning and start up stages of the Co-op the board will create key indicators that can be monitored to ensure that the progress of the Co-op is on track. The Co-op will use indicators from their income statement, such as net profits, to monitor the success of the Co-op. It will also be essential that the Co-op monitors the objectives, goals and commitments as stated in the plan above. Monitoring will help to assure that;
• Everyone knows what kind of progress is being made toward accomplishing the planned objectives, and provides the kind of information needed to adjust the line of action if there is a divergence from the plan.
• Everyone in the Co-op will abide by agreements. This implies that everyone involved in carrying out the plan will be involved to an appropriate degree with formulating it.
• It will be possible to predict trends and to provide information needed to improve planning in the future.
Lastly the manager will be responsible for delegating tasks and responsibilities to workers and volunteers. It will be important that the manager of the Co-op is skilled in the art of delegating. Effective delegating requires that the manager has the ability to;
• To define precisely what has been delegated;
• To define a whole task and the steps needed to complete that task;
• To choose appropriate people and work with them to mutually set objectives;
• To give honest and accurate feedback to those people and support them in their work; and
• Above all, to have the trust in employees and self-confidence to really let go of the work to be done.
Personnel Plan
Under the supervision of the store manager the Co-op will have paid staff and strong volunteer base.
• All staff will be trained for daily operation.
• For startup we have estimated that we will need a minimum of 4-8 paid staff members.
• Volunteers will be selected by the board, staff and operations manager. Volunteers will be chosen based on their values and alignment with the company’s mission and commitments. The Co-op will accept all volunteers that they feel could enhance the operations of the Co-op. There will be mandatory training available on a monthly basis for students wishing to be involved as volunteers.
• Daily operation consists of: food preparation, cashier, clean up, assistance with tracking volunteer hours, food inventory, event planning and coordination.
• All staff will be paid at a starting rate of $8.50 and will receive additional pay if they are eventually promoted.
• Volunteers will get an $8.50 store credit for every 4 hours worked. They will work closely with the staff and Co-op manager to account for hours worked. To receive credit, the staff and Co-op manger will need to approve and sign off on all volunteer hours worked.
Staff
Staff is the backbone of the Co-op, there will be at least one paid staff member working at all times. Workers will be given complete respect and their voices must be heard and valued, this will be done through open membership meetings where all stakeholders can voice their opinions and concerns regarding the future of the Co-op. According to WWU pay classification levels staff will be a level one classification. Staff will perform general and routine duties in accordance with the day to day operations of the Co-op.
• Jobs/responsibilities of workers include things such as moving patrons through the checkout lines, taking orders, making food and general up-keep of the appearance and cleanliness of the space. Workers will be delegated tasks as they are seen fit by the operations manager. These will include, but are not limited to event planning, advertising and marketing opportunities, and building and improving community connections. Staff must also be educated about sustainable practices, and be able to communicate the benefits and importance of these sustainable practices to the customer.
Internships/Enhanced Student Learning
The Co-op will work with the Business school to incorporate opportunities for student learning. Some possibilities for this will be student consultants from Small Business Entrepreneurship classes, such as MGMT 492. We will also look for student involvement through internships that focus on management, financing and marketing of the Co-op. Interns will need to submit an application to the board, which includes their history as it relates to sustainability and a recommendation from the business department. Other enhanced student learning opportunities will include student consulting opportunities through business courses such as MGMT 413.
Volunteers
Volunteers will be strongly encouraged, and will be chosen based on their values and alignment with the company’s mission and commitments. The Co-op will accept all volunteers that they feel could enhance the operations of the Co-op. All volunteers will receive free food up to $8.50 for every 4-hour shift.
• Jobs/responsibilities of volunteers include things such as stocking shelves, unloading shipments, taking orders, advertising to university community, making food and general up-keep of the appearance and cleanliness of the space. Similar to workers, volunteers will be delegated tasks as they are seen fit by the operations manager. These will include, but are not limited to event planning, advertising and marketing opportunities, and building and improving community connections. Volunteers must also be educated about sustainable practices, and be able to communicate the benefits and importance of these sustainable practices to the customer.